The Minuteman III is the standard U.S. land-based intercontinental ballistic missile. This three-stage solid-propellant missile is launched from underground silos that are 24.4 meters (80 feet) deep and 3.7 meters (12 feet) in diameter. These missiles can be launched either from underground control centers or by an airborne launch control center installed in KC-135 aircraft.
Minuteman III was first test-fired on August 16, 1968, and has since replaced earlier Minuteman series ICBMs in the operational system. This missile was designed by Boeing for the Air Force Strategic Air Command.
This missile is from the US. Air Force and Boeing Aerospace Corporation.
Poseidon C-3
72. Launch of Poseidon from nuclear-powered submarine.
This two-stage solid-propellant Fleet Ballistic Missile is launched underwater from nuclear-powered submarines. The Poseidon is launched by compressed air, with first-stage ignition just after the missile is clear of the hull. Poseidon carried the Mk-3 Multiple Independently targeted Reentry Vehicles (MIRV)—thermonuclear weapons which enable a single missile to cover a number of targets.
The first successful test flight of Poseidon was from Cape Canaveral on August 16, 1968, and the first submarine launch was from the U.S.S. James Madison on August 3, 1970.